Looking to replace stock headlight bulbs

fourpointzero said:
@MikeM @WestCoastDan
The JK I bought (from a longtime friend) has had LEDs on it for over five years and there's never been an issue with frozen headlights. Now entering my second winter with it, and no freeze has resulted in less than stellar lighting.

Guess it depends on where you're at but here in the Northeast, New Jersey to be precise, I gets pretty damn effing cold and things freeze during the winter.
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I am on Long Island so our weather likely very similar. I've not used the LEDs long enough to have real world experience with the freezing issue.. just trying to do some forward thinking when I had them in and was able to feel the temp difference between the LED and H4s.

I moved away from the LEDs because I wasn't happy with the pattern of either set. I did like the hyper white color, but I'll play with a few different H4 bulbs when I have time.
 
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MikekiM said:
Not even... reach behind the housing, remove the rubber boot, remove the plug and unclip the bulb. Insert new bulb and reverse teh steps.

That said, while I can reach the passenger side, I can't get my hand in behind the drivers size. My hands are too big.
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I did the Toyota swap and like them. Had the same problem you did and found trying to change bulbs from inside was a total pita.
So now I take off the trim ring, unplug, and remove the 3 nuts (8mm) holding the headlight assy to the grill frame, and pull the entire unit. I can easily see if the retention ring is properly seated. Works fine for me, maybe not for others.
Ray
 
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WWII Jeeper said:
I did the Toyota swap and like them. Had the same problem you did and found trying to change bulbs from inside was a total pita.
So now I take off the trim ring, unplug, and remove the 3 nuts (8mm) holding the headlight assy to the grill frame, and pull the entire unit. I can easily see if the retention ring is properly seated. Works fine for me, maybe not for others.
Ray
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Yup, removed all that at initial install of the Toyota lightsand of course I dropped one of the 8mm nuts and it disappeared. Got lucky and found it after I moved the Jeep. Figured out a way to get the nut on more easily, without dropping.
 
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Zorba said:
Running Beamtech LEDs in Hella H4 housings, as are several others here. The nice thing about that is the Hella housings are GLASS, not plastic which will cloud up in about 4 years.
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My cheap LEDs are clouded up. Less than stock light output now. Leaning toward the KC gravity headlights.
 
schabj3 said:
Looking for suggestions on easy plug/play bulbs. Don’t want to mess with any extra wiring, mainly just want more light output than stock.

Kind of indifferent on color temperature.

Is LED my best option? Or something else?

Thanks!!
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I’m running hella but going to do the Toyota deal too just because it’s awesome
 
Zorba said:
Then they'll cloud up eventually. Depending on how much sun they see - a complete non-starter here in Florida, but YMMV and all that.
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Yes could be. I have been looking and have not found any cases of clouded KC lights yet. But I will keep looking before I buy.
 
Zorba said:
That at least is encouraging.
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I lied. Lol. Found a couple of issues. Seems to be several cases of either the lenses to cloud or the LEDs to become weak in several of the higher end lights. With only 5 year warranties that is a lot of money to spend on a set of lights. Looks like I will order another set of off brand LEDs. When they fail in 2-3 years again I won’t be upset spending less than $100 on them I guess.
Hopefully the KC flex era 4 lights I bought last longer than that.
 
Gollywomper said:
I lied. Lol. Found a couple of issues. Seems to be several cases of either the lenses to cloud or the LEDs to become weak in several of the higher end lights. With only 5 year warranties that is a lot of money to spend on a set of lights. Looks like I will order another set of off brand LEDs. When they fail in 2-3 years again I won’t be upset spending less than $100 on them I guess.
Hopefully the KC flex era 4 lights I bought last longer than that.
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That sucks. Get a set of glass Hellas and put LED bulbs into them. Plastic headlites is yet another example of the auto industry's cheapening the product so they can rape you on replacement parts. In a world full of stupidity, plastic headlites has got to be up somewhere near the top, fairly close to smartphones probably.
 
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I have no experience with high-end aftermarket LEDs. They may be fantastic. I don't have the stomach to spend big bucks on them. I am happy with the look, construction and performance of the H4s. That said, I do like the hyper white of the LED bulbs.

I've read so much about NOT using LED bulbs in a traditional lens but there too, have never tried. Do we have a preferred LED bulb? @Zorba is the lenses pattern the same with the LED? Or does it scatter?
 
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Zorba said:
That sucks. Get a set of glass Hellas and put LED bulbs into them. Plastic headlites is yet another example of the auto industry's cheapening the product so they can rape you on replacement parts. In a world full of stupidity, plastic headlites has got to be up somewhere near the top, fairly close to smartphones probably.
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Very interesting. I like what I read so far. Glass and a changeable bulb. Can’t seem to find any video reviews. How is the pattern? Nice sharp low beam cutoff?
 
Gollywomper said:
Very interesting. I like what I read so far. Glass and a changeable bulb. Can’t seem to find any video reviews. How is the pattern? Nice sharp low beam cutoff?
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The pattern for low beam is pretty decent - but a bit "Splatty" on high beam - at least with the Beamtech LEDs that myself and several others here are running in the Hellas. Still, in my opinion, damn good lites although I'm sure there are better ones. But better with glass, I don't know...
 
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nathanotis said:
I wish I could "like" this more than once.
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In my opinion they are way better beam pattern than my quadratec leds which are trucklite knock offs. Wish I knew about this kit back when I bought the LED’s.

LED’s are for sale ;)
 
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Zorba said:
The pattern for low beam is pretty decent - but a bit "Splatty" on high beam - at least with the Beamtech LEDs that myself and several others here are running in the Hellas. Still, in my opinion, damn good lites although I'm sure there are better ones. But better with glass, I don't know...
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I think I’m going to order the Toyota housings. I plan to run LED bulbs so won’t need the wiring. Just need to find the best bang for the buck led bulb.
Edit: LED bulbs tend to not have as good of a pattern.
 
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